This season has been a disaster for the Timberwolves, and there could be a lot of changes before next season with some players not sure they want to come back.
Guard Bracey Wright, a second-round draft choice in 2005, is a free agent and says he definitely won't re-sign with the Wolves.
Guard Mike James, who has a contract calling for three more years at $18 million and had a very inconsistent year, says he isn't sure he wants to come back.
"The whole season has been difficult, you know what I mean?" James said. "We've been trying to find our niche the whole entire season, and for some odd reason, we never found it. We have to re-evaluate things, the front office has to re-evaluate things, and we'll go from there."
Guard Marko Jaric, with a contract calling for $27 million over four years after being acquired from the Clippers for Sam Cassell and a No. 1 draft choice, didn't sound very happy when asked about his future following Wednesday's season finale, a loss to the last-place Grizzlies.
"Chemistry is players willing to sacrifice themselves for the team," Jaric said. "We don't do it purposefully. Maybe we just don't know how to do it. "
Troy Hudson, another guard, has a three years left on a contract calling for a total of $19 million, and he wants out. The Wolves could buy out his contract if not successful in a trade.
Tickets a hard sell
The deadline to buy Timberwolves season tickets has passed, and only 64 percent of the holders have renewed.
The indications are strong that even the most loyal season ticket holders are going to wait until they see if the team puts together a roster good enough to make the playoffs.
While coach Randy Witt- man talked about a lot of changes before next year, it's obvious some of the players are anxious to change, too, and would welcome a trade. Talent wins games, but this team's chemistry was likely the worst of any team in Timberwolves history.
The situation is so bad that Wittman said he is ready to trade players who have superior talent for players who have less talent but will play hard every game.
"It needs a shake-up, I think. We have to make changes; the roster is unbalanced a little bit," Wittman said. "We don't have bigs that can guard bigs, we have perimeters -- we have just a lot of different things that need to be done. We have to find guys that are caring for one another to play with one another. I just don't think we have that with this mix.
"We've got a lot of things to look at. Number one, we've got a lot of soul-searching [to do] from an individual standpoint. Number two ... we should be disappointed. I'm disappointed. I think everyone in that locker room should feel disappointed."
Last Sunday's loss to Golden State, who earned a playoff spot ahead of the Wolves, was another agonizing reminder, Wittman said.
"You look and they have 39 wins, and we have 32 wins, after 80 games," he said. "That is so close, that should even make you feel more depressed. You're seven games out of the playoffs after all that we have gone through. ... That should hurt all of us, and if it doesn't, we have to find guys that it does hurt."
The Timberwolves finished tied with the sixth-worst record in the league, so they should get a decent lottery pick. They have one second-round draft acquired from Philadelphia. This could be in the area of a 40th pick.
But if they want to sell any tickets, this has to be an offseason of big changes.
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